Pompom tutorial

Rah-rah sis boom bah - it's time for a tutorial! 

For my first knitting tutorial I probably should have started with casting on, how to make knit and purl stitches, or even basic increases - but we'll get to that later. For my first tutorial I wanted to start with something fun, something flashy - today, we are making pompoms. Commercial pompom makers are for sale at big box craft stores, and they work great - but there is something so satisfying about creating your own from scratch - plus you can easily make different sizes for different projects!

Materials

 For this project you will need: some yarn, cardboard, a pen or pencil, scissors, tapestry needle (optional) and a compass or something round to trace.

Step One: Use a compass, or trace a circle from something round you have around the house, a can of soup, a plastic cup, anything works. I used something that was about 3" in diameter. Experiment with different sizes - the larger the circle, the larger your pompom will be.

Step 2: Next, create a concentric circle (ie doughnut shape) by making a smaller circle inside the larger one (it doesn't have to be perfect) 

not perfect doughnut

Step 3: Cut out your circle using a sharp pair of scissors. Again - we aren't striving for perfection here, but if a perfect circle matters to you, try using an exact o knife instead of scissors. But BE CAREFUL please.

 

Step 4: Use your existing cut out doughnut to create another, just like it. 

 

Step 5: Put your two doughnuts ontop of each other. Cut a length of yarn and begin wrapping it through the middle hole, around the doughnut. A tapestry needle can help, but isn't necessary.

 

Continue wrapping... 

Until your doughnut is completely covered by the yarn. the more yarn you use, the thicker your pompom will be, so if you aren't sure; air on the side of heavy-handedness - it's easy to take some out if you aren't happy with the shape- but nearly impossible to add more later.

so pretty

Now, like any child before he destroys his sandcastle, stand back and admire your work for a moment. Isn't it so pretty?

Step 6: Destroy. Placing your scissors between the two pieces of cardboard, snip the yarn, along the doughnut.

Continue cutting all the way around... 

 

Until you are left with a shaggy mess like this:

Step 7: Cut a length of yarn. Wrap it around your almost-pompom, between the cardboard pieces. Then tie it off tightly

 

Step 8: Carefully remove the cardboard guides. 

I need a manicure

 Step 9: Give your pompom a haircut! If you see any uneven or stray pieces, trim them to match the others.

 

Now, fluff

 Step 10: Add your pompom to an existing hat, or other project to create maximum cuteness!

Voila!

Once you start experimenting with different textures and sizes you'll want to add pompoms to everything you own!

Have a question about this tutorial? Leave a comment and we will answer you asap! 

HMF

xo

Housekeeping

via Pinterest

After a life changing/super busy/crazy exciting spring (see: I went to Africa, Mary had her third baby and together we had our first show )  HMF decided to take a much needed break.  Well as much of a break as one can take while still working a full time job / raising three children.

We've continued taking and filling orders, but things have been a bit more low key around here... until now. With summer half-over and the fall season quickly approaching we have some big things to share. 

First off... we're officially official: The Master Business License!!

 

We were both close to tears when we finally got it. Knowing that things are official, and real; makes everything feel so much more... official, and real. I'm really proud of us. And incredibly happy that we did this, together.

Second piece of exciting/official feeling news:

 Our credit card reader arrived! We were able to take payments by credit at the Heirlooms show by hand-typing it the old fashioned way, but now with one quick swipe customers can be on their way ensuring the process at Balls Falls will be fast, easy and efficient.

Third exciting this is........


                                       .............a surprise! Sorry for the tease - something big is happening August 31st but you will just have to stay tuned to the blog, facebook and the shop to find out. I can promise; it will be beautiful.


Speaking of the shop...have you stopped by our etsy store in a while? You should. Etsy has revamped the whole site making it even more user-friendly and actually quite pretty!

The new design allows you to scroll through product galleries easier, and displays all the pertinent overview info right in one spot.. and, most importantly now you can "add to cart" which allows you to keep shopping/browing before you buy and allows more than one purchase at a time- and that saves YOU on shipping costs!

 With just the click of a button you can "request a custom order" right from the product you're looking at. We love this feature because we are just itching to create a custom design for you! The new tab features allow you to flip back and forth between "details", "feedback" and "shipping policies" easily meaning you can buy with confidence.

 On the right hand side of the screen is a convenient photo gallery showing similar products available from the store you're browsing - so easy!

And if you still have questions, now you can contact us even easier - we'd love to hear from you!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a cute sewing tutorial by Mary, a knitting tutorial by me, and our new seasonal / holiday line of products which will be hitting the shelves soon!

Enjoy these last few days of summer,
love,
 SPF

...I mean HMF xo